Watchmen

by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons | Graphic Novels |
ISBN: 9780930289232 Global Overview for this book
Registered by themarina of Coquitlam, British Columbia Canada on 3/10/2009
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2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by themarina from Coquitlam, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, March 10, 2009
From Amazon.com:

Has any comic been as acclaimed as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen? Possibly only Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, but Watchmen remains the critics' favorite. Why? Because Moore is a better writer, and Watchmen a more complex and dark and literate creation than Miller's fantastic, subversive take on the Batman myth. Moore, renowned for many other of the genre's finest creations (Saga of the Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, and From Hell, with Eddie Campbell) first put out Watchmen in 12 issues for DC in 1986-87. It won a comic award at the time (the 1987 Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards for Best Writer/Artist combination) and has continued to gather praise since.

The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling; rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality. The artwork of Gibbons (best known for 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and DC's Green Lantern) is very fine too, echoing Moore's paranoid mood perfectly throughout. Packed with symbolism, some of the overlying themes (arms control, nuclear threat, vigilantes) have dated but the intelligent social and political commentary, the structure of the story itself, its intertextuality (chapters appended with excerpts from other "works" and "studies" on Moore's characters, or with excerpts from another comic book being read by a child within the story), the finepace of the writing and its humanity mean that Watchmen more than stands up--it keeps its crown as the best the genre has yet produced.

Journal Entry 2 by themarina at Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Released 15 yrs ago (3/10/2009 UTC) at Vancouver, British Columbia Canada

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Releasing to elad at March's Vancouver Bookcrossing Meetup.

When:
Tuesday, March 10th, 7PM

Location:
Rhizome Cafe
317 East Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1A1

Who’s coming?
8 Bookcrossers

Journal Entry 3 by themarina from Coquitlam, British Columbia Canada on Monday, April 6, 2009
Moore & Gibbons' graphic novel still feels fairly ground breaking even years after its release and though some of the politics feel distant and part of the story rather than a commentary on reality, some of the aspects do have connections to the current situation. Beyond that, the characters and their situations bring up some questions and discussion on the essence of good and evil and self sacrifice. A fascinating and entertaining read.

Journal Entry 4 by elad at North Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, June 15, 2010
The Watchmen was a rewarding read with a stunning ending. It has great characters, an enjoyable story, and explored issues I'm interested in. I like books that make me think while they tell a good story. Recommended.

My full review is up at my website: The Watchmen (Graphic Novel)

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